Mr Tan Teck Hock (inset) will be appointed principal of Singapore Sports School
from December 15, 2013, succeeding Mrs Deborah Tan, who will assume a senior appointment at the MOE headquarters.

SINGAPORE - The Singapore Sports School will be getting a new principal in Dec this year.

Mr Tan Teck Hock will be appointed principal of Singapore Sports School (SSP) from December 15, 2013. Mr Tan succeeds Mrs Deborah Tan, who will assume a senior appointment at the Ministry of Education (MOE) headquarters.

Mrs Deborah Tan, 54, joined Singapore Sports School as the Principal in 2007. She has been credited for developing two extended education pathways for student-athletes by-passing the GCE "O" Level Examinations - a six-year pathway leading to the award of the International Baccalaureate Diploma and a seven-year pathway leading to a customised Diploma in Sports and Leisure Management in partnership with Republic Polytechnic.

Mr Tan Teck Hock, 49, who has been in the education service since 1992, has been the pioneering Principal of the Physical Education and Sports Teacher Academy (PESTA) since its establishment in December 2010. As the first Principal of PESTA, Mr Tan was lauded for playing an instrumental role in introducing a comprehensive suite of programmes for PE and Sports teachers to enhance their professional development and capacity for delivery of a holistic education.

According to a statemnent by the Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), the Singapore Sports School and MCCY expressed their gratitude to Mrs Tan for her dedicated service to the School.

Ms Yeoh Chee Yan, Permanent Secretary, MCCY, said, "Mrs Deborah Tan has led the School through exciting times - the School was one of the competition venues at the inaugural Youth Olympics Games in 2010, where 22 Sports School student-athletes participated in the Games, contributing two individual medals and a team bronze medal to Singapore's total medal tally. Under her watch, Scott Ang, an alumnus of the School, was awarded the President's Scholarship. Indeed, the Singapore Sports School has achieved much under her leadership. I want to thank Mrs Tan for her dedication in developing each young student athlete to be a learned champion with character. We wish her all the best as she takes up her new appointment in the Ministry of Education."

MCCY added that it looked forward to Mr Tan's leadership in "furthering SSP's vision of being the premier sports school with an international reputation for excellence in student-athlete development".